5 Players Who Can Break Virat Kohli’s Record For Most Player of the Series Awards In T20Is

Virat Kohli (L) and Babar Azam (R) (Source: AFP)

Former skipper and the legendary T20I batter, Virat Kohli, is the third-highest run-scorer of all time in T20Is, even after his retirement from the format. Kohli ended his career as a World T20 Champion batter, scoring 4,188 runs in 117 innings of his career’s 125 T20I games. 

He scored a century and 38 half-centuries in his illustrious 14-year T20I career from 2010 to 2024. Besides that, he has a few T20I records to his name that are yet to be broken. 

One of those records is winning the most ‘Player of the Series’ awards in the shortest format of the game. Kohli won seven ‘Player of the Series’ awards in his T20I career, which hasn’t been broken by any batter so far. 

Nonetheless, a few of the currently active batters are close to Kohli’s record of ‘most player of the series awards in T20Is’. Hence, here, we’ll have a look at the five players who can break Virat Kohli’s record for most player of the series awards in the T20Is. 

5 Players who can break Virat Kohli’s record for the most ‘Player of the Series’ awards in T20Is

Suryakumar Yadav - India 

India’s current T20I skipper and the swashbuckling middle-order batter, Suryakumar Yadav, is one of the most successful batters among the currently active batters in T20Is. He is the leading run-scorer in the shortest format of the game among the active Indian batters. 

SKY has scored 3,030 runs in 96 innings of his 104 T20Is, at an average of 36.95, hitting four centuries and 24 half-centuries. He has won 6 ‘Player of the Series’ awards in his career, including the latest one in the recently concluded five-match T20I series against New Zealand. 

Given his sensational run of form with the bat, Suryakumar Yadav has a good enough chance to surpass Kohli and become the player with the most ‘Player of the Series’ awards in T20Is. He will also be leading the Men in Blue in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. 

Babar Azam - Pakistan 

The former Pakistan skipper and the star batter, Babar Azam, is currently the leading run-scorer of all time in T20Is. He has featured in 139 T20Is for Pakistan in his more than nine-year-long career in the format. 

In these appearances, Babar has scored 4,505 runs in 132 innings at an average of 39.51, with three centuries and 39 half-centuries. Apart from that, he is joint-second, alongside Suryakumar Yadav, in the list of the players with the most ‘Player of the Series’ awards. 

He has also won ‘Player of the Series’ awards on six occasions in his T20I career, which makes him one of the contenders to break Virat Kohli’s record. 

Wanindu Hasaranga - Sri Lanka  

The star Sri Lankan all-rounder, Wanindu Hasaranga, has established himself as one of the all-time bowling greats for his side in T20Is. Hasaranga is the leading wicket-taker of all time in T20Is, with 151 wickets in 92 innings of the 94 T20Is. 

It also includes five four-wicket hauls to his name, alongside winning five ‘Player of the Series’ awards in his T20I career. He is placed at the fourth spot in the list of players with this record. He has also a knack for surpassing Virat Kohli and becoming the player with the most ‘Player of the Series’ awards in T20Is. 

Tim Seifert - New Zealand 

The aggressive New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter, Tim Seifert, has been one of the key elements in the top order. He is the fifth leading run-scorer in T20Is for New Zealand, scoring 1,953 runs in 76 innings at an average of 29.59, hitting 13 half-centuries. 

Tim Seifert has been a vital cog in the wheel for the Blackcaps in a lot of series and matches. He has won four ‘Player of the Series’ awards in his almost eight-year-long T20I career. 

Looking at his batting prowess, Tim Seifert can also be backed as the player who can break Kohli’s record for the most ‘Player of the Series’ awards in T20Is. 

Quinton de Kock - South Africa

The veteran South African opener Quinton de Kock has been on an amazing run of form with the bat since his return from retirement. He is the leading run-scorer of all time in T20Is for South Africa, with 2,914 runs in 101 innings of his 102 games at an average of 31.67, hitting two centuries and 18 half-centuries. 

De Kock winning four ‘Player of the Series’ awards in T20Is is a kind of achievement that underscores the fact that he is one of the biggest match-winners for the Proteas. 

Besides that, the talented southpaw has the ability to surpass Virat Kohli and become the player with the most ‘Player of the Series’ awards.